(Reuters) – A veteran rocket from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX aerospace company launched 143 spacecraft on Sunday, a new record for most spacecraft on a single mission, according to the company.
The Falcon 9 missile took off at 10 a.m. EST from the 40th Space Launch Complex at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It flew south along Florida’s east coast on its way to space, the company said.
The reusable rocket carried 133 commercial and government spacecraft and 10 Starlink satellites into space – part of the company’s SmallSat Rideshare program, which provides access to space for small satellite operators looking for a reliable and accessible trip in orbit, according to the company.
SpaceX delayed its launch by a day due to bad weather. On January 22, Musk, also CEO of Tesla Inc., wrote on Twitter: “Tomorrow the launch of many small satellites for a wide range of customers. Excited about providing low-cost orbit access for small businesses! ”
SpaceX has previously launched the orbit of more than 800 of the several thousand satellites needed to provide global broadband internet, a $ 10 billion investment it estimates could generate $ 30 billion annually to help to fund Musk’s interplanetary missile program called Starship.
Reporting by Helen Coster; Edited by Daniel Wallis